2025 Employee Training Trends Every Franchise Owner Should Know
Staying on top of employee training trends is crucial for franchise owners who want to keep their business competitive and their employees engaged. In 2025, evolving training strategies will continue to enhance employee performance, boost satisfaction, and adapt to the changing workforce. Read our 2025 employee training trends list below to ensure your franchise is well-prepared for the future and poised for success!
10 Employee Training Trends
As employee needs and expectations evolve, so too do the methods and tools used for training. Below are ten key employee training trends that will shape how franchise owners develop and empower their teams in 2025.
1. AI Learning Experiences
AI learning experiences are revolutionizing the way employees engage with training materials. AI-powered platforms can deliver personalized learning paths tailored to an individual's role, skills, and learning pace. This makes training more relevant and helps employees stay engaged by offering content that directly addresses their needs. Meanwhile, AI learning assistants can act as personal tutors, provide two-way communication, answer questions, suggest resources, and guide employees through the learning process. These adaptive and responsive AI tools transform traditional training into a more interactive and effective experience, improving knowledge retention and performance.
Companies already adopting AI in their employee training programs are seeing positive results. According to a recent study , here are the top benefits businesses report from their AI-based employee training:
While the benefits are clear, adopting AI technology can present challenges. The study's respondents cited the following challenges: lack of awareness and understanding, technical expertise and skill gaps, integration with existing systems, cost and resource constraints, ethical concerns, and change management hurdles. Addressing these challenges early on can help your business fully leverage AI and reap the rewards of AI-based employee training.
2. Skills-Based Training
Skills-based training focuses on developing specific skills rather than training for predefined roles or job positions. This approach increases agility within an organization as employees gain versatile skills that can be applied across multiple roles.?
As experts in cloud communication, we understand the growing need for phone communication skills across all roles. With our signature FranchisePhones? cloud phone system, we've seen firsthand how this skill is becoming essential and no longer limited to customer service representatives. Teaching all employees how to handle phone interactions—covering both the technical aspects of phone systems and the finer points of communicating effectively with customers—ensures a more cohesive and capable workforce. By broadening training in this way, businesses can provide better customer experiences and ensure every team member is equipped with the skills they need.
3. Microlearning
With information overload becoming a genuine concern, microlearning has emerged as a leading employee training trend. Instead of long, overwhelming training sessions, companies are shifting toward smaller, more digestible learning modules. These bite-sized lessons allow employees to absorb information at their own pace, making the training process more effective and easier to retain. Early research on microlearning shows it can lead to:
4. Extended Reality
Extended reality (XR) technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), are transforming employee training by creating immersive, interactive learning experiences. Through XR, employees can practice their skills in realistic scenarios, make real-time decisions, and apply their knowledge in ways that traditional methods can't offer. Because of the costs, it's mostly larger companies (10,000+ employees) that are exploring this employee training trend. Still, as the technology becomes more affordable and accessible, it should be on every business owner's radar.?
5. Knowledge Management
Knowledge management systems are becoming essential for businesses. These systems are centralized platforms that streamline access to corporate knowledge and may include searchable databases, document management tools, and collaboration spaces so employees can quickly find the resources they need without relying on outdated or fragmented information. As companies grow, these systems make it easier to maintain efficiency and streamline access to critical processes, procedures, and data.
In addition to creating your own knowledge management system for internal use, you may also have access to similar systems through some of the tools your team uses. For example, Clarity Voice offers a searchable Knowledge Base with step-by-step walkthroughs, articles, images, and videos that provide employees with the resources to maximize the use of the FranchisePhones? cloud phone system.?
6. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is becoming just as vital as technical skills in the workplace. Business owners recognize that abilities like communication, leadership, empathy, and emotional intelligence help employees excel in their roles and improve interactions with customers and colleagues.?
According to peer-reviewed academic research , emotional intelligence is learned, not innate, and training programs can teach and improve emotional intelligence within business environments. Addressing soft skills in training can boost employee performance, improve customer relations, and foster a more supportive work environment.
7. Gamification?
Gamifying employee training is gaining popularity as a way to make learning more engaging and enjoyable. Companies can boost participation and retention by incorporating elements like points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards. Employees are motivated to achieve milestones, compete in a fun environment, and be recognized for their progress which makes training a more interactive and rewarding experience.
According to research :?
8. Data-Driven Learning
Data-driven learning is transforming the way companies approach employee training. Instead of one-size-fits-all modules, data-driven learning focuses on the specific needs of the workforce. Through data collection and analysis—such as employee assessments, feedback surveys, and performance metrics—companies can identify areas for improvement and tailor their training to address those gaps.?
Clarity Voice can support data-driven learning by providing valuable insights through call recordings and analytics . For example, by listening to recorded customer interactions, you can pinpoint where employees may need additional training, such as improving communication skills or handling difficult situations. Using real examples from top-performing staff, you can provide targeted coaching to help all team members enhance their skills and deliver better customer experiences.
9. Social and Collaborative Learning
Social and collaborative learning encourages employees to learn together rather than individually, which promotes teamwork and cohesiveness while making learning more engaging and fun. This form of employee training is based on various collaborative learning theories such as social learning theory, constructivist learning theory, and cognitive apprenticeship. These theories prioritize active learning that takes place through observing, modeling, and imitating the behaviors of others. Some applications of social and collaborative learning include:??
10. Blended Learning
Blended learning combines in-person training with online education to offer a balanced approach to employee development. In-person methods like on-the-job training, one-on-one coaching, and instructor-led sessions are complemented by online resources such as videos, eLearning courses, and skills assessments. This flexible model allows employees to learn independently while benefiting from hands-on guidance and mentoring. According to Research.com , "Blended or hybrid learning models, which combines synchronous and asynchronous learning, are becoming increasingly popular among organizations of all sizes."
Leveraging 2025 Employee Training Trends
By embracing these emerging employee training trends, franchise owners can stay ahead of the curve and create a more adaptable, skilled, and motivated workforce. Whether it's through AI-powered learning, gamification, or data-driven insights, the future of employee training offers endless opportunities to enhance both individual and business performance.